Carpe Diem
by denise1
Summary: Sometimes you need to seize the day


Carpe Diem

By

Denise

Sam rolled over and sighed, silently cursing the messages her internal clock was sending to her brain. It could not be morning yet. There was just no way…the quiet slap of a newspaper landing on the front porch filtered in through the open window confirming her clock's accuracy.

She stretched out and turned off the alarm before it could sound. She quietly slipped out of bed and padded to the bathroom, closing the door behind her before she turned on the light.

Ten minutes later, she emerged, her morning ablutions complete. Knowing that she'd be changing her clothes again in less than an hour when she arrived at the base, she settled for slipping on a worn pair of jeans, a button down shirt and a comfortable pair of sandals.

"You're up early," a gravely voice said as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"Early briefing," she said, turning and making her way to the bed. She leaned over and gave her lover a sensuous kiss. "We're going to be gone for three days. Don't forget to water the yard," she reminded.

"You watch your back," he cautioned, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Well, since I won't have you there to watch it for me…" She gently pulled away, knowing full well that if they didn't stop know she was going to be seriously late.

"Sam…"

"Don't worry, Jack." She smiled. "Teal'c and Jonas both know you'll kill them. Besides it's a boring little planetary survey. If you're good, I'll bring you back a tree," she teased. She bent over, evading his questing hands. "Love you," she whispered, giving him a peck on the cheek.

He turned his face, capturing her mouth with his. "If it makes you change your mind, I get the stitches out today. It'll be quite the homecoming," he said, his eyebrows waggling suggestively.

"I'm gonna hold you to that, flyboy." She pulled out of his arms and slipped from the room.

Jack laid back with a heavy sigh, listening to Sam leave the house, her Volvo quickly fading away in the pre-dawn quiet. Mentally making a shopping list, he made plans for seventy-two hours from now. In the grand scheme of things, it really wasn't that long. It just felt like an eternity.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam walked into the gateroom, pausing to give her companions an appraising look. Things had changed so much in just a year. Teal'c, well he never changed much physically, but emotionally she knew he was a far different man than she'd met five years before. She knew the death of his estranged wife had effected him far more than he ever let on. His grief however, was something he kept buried inside. Only someone who truly knew him would likely be able to read the sorrow in his eyes. He met her eyes and nodded his head slightly, silently encouraging her. If someone had told her that one of her best friends was going to be a 6'6" century old alien with a snake in his gut, she'd have laughed. Now, she couldn't imagine not having his friendship and support.

Jonas Quinn stood beside Teal'c, hunching his shoulders to shift the weight of his pack. The Kelownan had been a member of SG-1 for just a short time, so she still felt like she was getting to know him. He seemed to be a quiet person, although she didn't know if this was his normal behavior or if he was intimidated by his surroundings.

The newest member of the group was also the most temporary. Captain Caleb Masters was on temporary assignment to SG-1 until Colonel O'Neill was declared fit for active duty, something Sam thought would happen in a few days.  She knew what galled Jack more than he'd ever let on was that he hadn't even been injured in the line of duty. They'd been cleaning out the plugged up gutters of his house when he'd fallen off the ladder and landed on the birdbath. The resulting series of stitches in his side had kept him on desk duty for the last couple of weeks.  And gotten him scrubbed from this mission.

"You guys ready to roll?" she asked, interjecting a note of cheerfulness into her voice. That was one of the many things she'd learned from Jack over the years, the commander sets the tone.

"Yes, ma'am," Masters said, straightening his spine. She choked back a grin as she met Teal'c's amused gaze. She fought the urge to tell him to relax before he sprained something. She really had been hanging around Jack too long. The wormhole opened with its customary flourish saving her from a response.

"SG-1, you have a go," General Hammond said over the loud speaker. Sam nodded and followed her team up the ramp.

Six hours later she stood beside Teal'c as he surveyed their surroundings, looking for a good place to camp. P3Y946 was a semi-arid planet, its surface scarred by signs of recent asteroid bombardment. The landscape reminded her of the moon in a way, or what the moon would be like if it had a breathable atmosphere.

From what Sam could guess, the asteroid bombardment was fairly recent, maybe fifty years or so. And the planet was just emerging from a debris-induced winter. Preliminary surveys suggested that much of the planet's water had been frozen along the poles. Which meant that even if the temperatures were comfortable by Earth standards, mid 80's by day, the overall temperature wasn't warm enough to fully melt the ice and relieve the decades long drought.

Exploring the planet had proven more difficult than originally imagined, given the rocky and uneven terrain dotted here and there by deep craters and crevasses. There was vegetation here, hardy desert type bushes and cacti sitting atop and among the wrinkled landscape.

Earth was quite unique in its molten core. Many planets didn't have one, so impacts like the ones on this planet from meteors usually resulted in topography that looked like a jumble of shattered glass. The planet's crust had reacted like the windshield of a car when hit by a rock. There were craters and pits in the surface, some of them having spidery cracks radiating from the point of impact. This was definitely one planet she'd classify as 'hostile' in the mission reports.

"There, Major Carter," he said, pointing with his staff weapon.

"Looks good to me." She patted his arm and turned back to Jonas and Caleb who were both seated on a rock a few yards away. "We're going to set up camp over there," she told them. "Masters, why don't you and Jonas set up the tents and I'm going to take a little look around."

"Major Carter?" Masters asked. "Should you be going off on your own?"

Sam sighed, not wanting to explain. "Come, Caleb," Jonas said, catching her unspoken request. "I can use your help with the tents." He led the captain off towards Teal'c's position.

Sam watched them walk past Teal'c, then waved to the Jaffa and headed off into the trees. That was something else she'd taken for granted. It hadn't taken the guys long to figure out that if they didn't let her go off on her own every so often, it was bad for all their tempers. In hindsight, she guessed she was lucky that the rest of her team had been married at some time. It certainly made for less embarrassing explaining when it came to 'girl stuff'.

A few minutes later she found a convenient bush and took care of business. Finished, she indulged herself in a little privacy. She found a seat in the scant shade of a tree and pulled out her canteen, taking a drink.

Things were so different now. Not just with Daniel's ascension and the general state of galactic affairs, but in her personal life as well. She and the colonel were…well she didn't quite know what they were. They both still had their individual houses, but they both slept at the other's home as well. No one at the SGC knew about their relationship with the possible exception of Teal'c. And she knew he wouldn't blow the whistle. She'd even refrained from telling Janet, although it was more out of a respect for the doctor's feelings over Daniel's departure than a great need for secrecy. Given how the doctor had felt for Daniel, it just seemed cruel to tell her about she and Jack.

She honestly didn't know if she and Jack would go anywhere in their relationship. She enjoyed his company and their ease with each other. But there was a certain part of her that just couldn't totally commit herself. They were on such a slippery slope that she just couldn't release that last handhold and trust that she wouldn't fall. Fortunately, Jack seemed just as willing to take things nice and slow. Right now having dinner and spending the occasional night together was enough for him.

A low whine penetrated her contemplation and she looked skyward to see the all too familiar shape of a death glider cutting through the cerulean blue sky. "Major Carter." Her radio crackled to life immediately.

"I see it, Teal'c," she answered, shoving her canteen into her belt and pulling her P-90 to the ready. "Forget the camp, start back to the gate. Let's NOT engage them," she ordered, in no mood for a fire fight.

"Understood," he replied.

She started edging her way towards the camp, hoping to intercept the rest of her team on the way. She crested a small rise and dropped to her belly as she caught sight of a small group of Jaffa. It looked like an exploratory team to her; five warriors armed with staff weapons. A quick look at her position revealed that they were between her and the stargate.

"Major Carter?"

Sam quickly reached for her radio and turned down the volume, awkwardly shoving the earpiece into her ear. "Yeah," she whispered, keeping a wary eye on the Jaffa.

"What is your position?"

"They're between me and you. I'm going to try to go around them. You keep going towards the gate," she ordered sliding back down the embankment trying not to knock any rocks loose. She may have teased Jack about trees this morning, but right now she'd kill for a nice thick forest to hide in.

"KREE!"

She turned to see two of the Jaffa cresting the rise, one of them aiming his staff weapon directly at her. Raising her gun she squeezed the trigger, bracing herself against the recoil. The two fell as the other three appeared, one of them firing a blast that exploded just inches from her feet. Not bothering to aim, she fired a few more rounds, turned and ran. She was outnumbered, but hoped that her smaller size and lack of armor would give her an edge in the speed department.

She could hear their heavy footfalls pounding behind her, their clanging armor ringing like a death knell in her ears. One of them fired a shot, hitting the rock directly in front of her. She threw herself to one side, reflexively closing her eyes against the rain of rock shards. She lost her balance and fell, desperately trying to roll to her back. One of the Jaffa was at her side in an instant, his staff weapon armed and ready to fire. She squeezed the trigger of her P-90, sending him lurching back in a hail of bullets.

A burst of flame exploded by her side as a beefy hand appeared from over her shoulder. Realizing that one of them had gotten behind her, she ducked and rolled, bringing her P-90 up and emptying the clip into the man.

Knowing that she'd have no time to reload, she let her gun fall, yanking her pistol from its holster. She fired off a couple of rounds, taking pleasure in the tinging sound of the bullets piercing the armor. As the fifth one fell, she scrambled to her feet. Even if they hadn't known her team was on the planet before, they did now. She had to rendezvous with the rest of SG-1and get the hell out of here before they could call in reinforcements.

She started to run, then felt herself thrown forward at the same instant she felt a blast of searing heat wash over her back. Out of control, she fell forward and rolled, falling down a steep embankment, unable to do anything but try to minimize the damage.

Stunned she came to rest in her back, her left leg twisted awkwardly under her. Struggling to breathe, she stared idly at the sky as her brain tried to catch up. Something made her turn her head and she saw a Jaffa standing at the top of the embankment. She contemplated playing dead then felt his gaze settle on her. He raised his staff weapon. She remembered the pistol in her hand and raised it, emptying the clip. He jerked and she watched him fall forward, his body bouncing over the rocks. She heard the thud of him hitting bottom and then nothing. Surrendering to her body's demands, she felt her eyes fall closed and she passed out, her hand still clutching the empty weapon.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The cold woke her. Opening her eyes she could see that the sky was dark, the first stars appearing. Unwilling to try and move yet, she reached for her radio. "Teal'c?" She heard nothing but the click of the button and closed her eyes. Hopefully they'd made it home. She refused to accept that they'd been killed.

Either way, she knew she was on her own, at least for the time being. Moving slowly she tried to assess her injuries. She tried to straighten her left leg, relieved to discover that it didn't hurt too much. Next she pushed herself up on her elbows, biting her lip as a shaft of pain tore through her chest, especially the right side. Bracing herself on her right elbow, she explored with her left hand, her fingers encountering the rough edges of melted material and a sticky wetness. She remembered being thrown forward. A staff blast, it had to be. Reaching up, she tried to unclip her pack. Her fingers encountered misshapen plastic. Unzipping the vest she slid it off and pulled it into her lap.

Her pack was pretty much destroyed, much of its contents either missing or burnt. There was a bit of the vest damaged on the right side, which accounted for the burn. The blast hadn't hit her square in the middle, but rather to one side. She was lucky she'd still had her pack on, or she'd likely be dead now.

Taking a look around, she realized the she had to move. Chances were the Jaffa she'd killed hadn't been alone and she was a sitting duck out here in the open. The Jaffa…she looked around frantically relieved when she saw the bulk of a body several yards away. Ok, given the resilience of Jaffa, if she'd had time to lay here for an hour or two and he still hadn't moved, he was dead.

But that wouldn't stop his friends from coming to look for him. She got to her feet, shifting to keep her weight off her left leg. Recognizing the feel of pulled muscles she bent over, picking up her ruined pack. She searched her surroundings, trying to find a good place. She was down in one of the craters. The walls were steep, just a few degrees off of vertical and about twenty feet high. She might be able to climb her way out, but not in the dark.

She saw what she thought were some of the cracks in the walls that they'd noticed in other craters. It was possible that one of them could lead to an easier way out. Her climbing skills were ok, but certainly not up to the rigors of free climbing a nearly sheer rock face with one bum leg.

Hoping that things would look better in the morning, she limped towards one of the walls. She figured that she'd be far less noticeable there than out in the open, and she also felt a lot safer to literally have her back against the wall. Finding a couple of boulders, she wedged herself between them. She was now only visible if someone happened to look down from the rim of the crater directly over her. Which was the best she could do at the moment.

She dug through the remnants of her pack, trying to see what she had left. One of her canteens had survived but none of her MRE's. Which might or might not be a problem. It all depended on how long it took Teal'c and Jonas to get back. And whether or not she could find a water source. She could do without food for several days, but without water or a way back to the gate, she'd die of dehydration long before she starved to death.

Feeling her way through her pack, she found her first aid kit. She pulled out a tube of antiseptic cream and squeezed some of it on her fingers. Going by touch, she smeared some on the burn. She shivered uncontrollably as the abused nerve endings told her that they definitely didn't like her touching the damaged flesh. It could have been worse, she guessed as her fingers trailed over the uneven bumps of blisters and little crusty bits that could either be dried blood or fluid from the blisters. The cream also had some anesthetic properties and soon her side faded into a blessed numbness.

Wiping her fingers off on her pants, she leaned her head against the boulder. It was now completely dark and she knew there was nothing else for her to do but wait for morning.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack walked down the halls of the SGC, returning the nods of some of the personnel. There were days when he may grouse and whine about the job, but damn did he miss it when he was gone. And sitting at home in an empty house didn't help in the slightest.

He made his way to the infirmary, planning on talking Fraiser into taking out the stitches in his side and saving him a trip into the emergency room. And if he played his cards right, he'd talk her into clearing him for active or at least light duty while he was at it.

"Hey, doc?" he said, meeting the objective of his mission as he rounded a corner.

"Colonel. I didn't know that you'd come back yet," she said, smiling as she fell into step beside him.

"Sorta. I was wondering if I could talk you out of a favor."

"That depends," she said, "What did you have in mind?"

"Can you save me a trip into town and four hours in the emergency room and take out the stitches?" he asked in his best cajoling voice.

Janet smiled and shook her head, seemingly relieved at the harmlessness of his request. "Step into my parlor, Colonel." She motioned towards the infirmary door.

He followed her in and hopped up on the first empty bed. He took off his shirt as she readied her instruments. She pulled on her gloves and he felt the first tiny tug as she snipped the thread and pulled the bits out through his newly mended skin. "You're going to have another scar for your collection," she said, efficiently pulling out stitch after stitch.

"You know ER docs, quantity not quality. Actually, I think it was some wet behind the ears intern who got the job," he said as she removed the last one.

"There you go, sir. And before you ask, yes, you're cleared for duty, although I would stay off ladders for a while," she teased.

Jack rolled his eyes and hopped off the bed, sliding his shirt back on. "You know what they say, it's not the fall that kills ya, but that sudden stop at the end," he quipped. "Don't worry, doc. With Carter, Teal'c and Jonas off world, I'm gonna be on desk duty for a couple more days."

"Try not to get a paper cut," she called after him as he left the room.

He made his way to General Hammond's office, eager to tell the man that he was cleared for duty and see what he needed to do. There were times when he regretted that he didn't have the science stuff to fall back on like Carter and Jonas and…Daniel. Maybe if he had something else to keep his mind occupied, he wouldn't feel so damned responsible all the time.

The klaxons began to blare, announcing an unscheduled gate activation. He broke into a run, stepping aside as the defense teams charged past him. Taking the steps two at a time he dashed into the control room as the iris spun open and three figures emerged, seemingly chased by bursts of staff weapon fire. The SF's yelled and ducked, trying to avoid being a hit.

"Close the iris!" Jack heard Teal'c bellow as the man fell to his knees, the sleeve of his jacket smoking.

"DO IT!" Jack heard Hammond order. The metal blades of the iris spiraled shut and the wormhole closed, leaving an eerie silence. "Get medical down there," the general said, joining Jack as they both hurried down to the gateroom.

"What happened? Where's Carter?" Jack demanded, taking stock of the three men sprawled on the ramp.

"There were Jaffa on the planet, Colonel O'Neill," Jonas reported. "They stumbled upon us as we were preparing to make camp. Major Carter ordered us to retreat," he said, still breathing heavily from his exertions.

"Teal'c?"

"Major Carter was not with us at the time. She said she would rejoin us at the stargate. We waited as long as we could, however we were soon overwhelmed," the Jaffa reported, pain evident in his voice.

"What do you mean she wasn't with you?" Jack demanded.

"Where was she?" Hammond asked as a pair of medics hurried into the room and made a beeline for Teal'c.

"Umm…girl stuff, sir," Masters said, blushing slightly.

"Sir, request permission to take a team back…"

"No. You can't," Jonas said, brushing aside the hands of the medic.

"Excuse me?"

"Colonel, the sun was setting when we came through," he said.

"So? It'll be dark."

"The gate faces the planetary west. You'll be walking out facing a setting sun and backlit by the event horizon," Jonas explained.

"It'd be suicide, sir," Masters confirmed

"I don't give a damn…" Jack said.

"Well, I do, Colonel," Hammond interrupted.

"General, if we wait until planetary dawn then we will be at a tactical advantage," Jonas said, giving Jack an apologetic look.

"And some of the Jaffa might leave," Masters said. "There were a lot of them, sir."

"Very well," Hammond said. "We'll send a UAV through at planetary dawn and assess the situation then."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam watched the sky lighten as she massaged a cramp in her leg. The chill of the desert had made for a very uncomfortable and mostly sleepless night. She knew she'd dozed off once or twice, each time jerking awake with her heart in her throat at some sound that she didn't know was real or conjured from her imagination. A couple of times she'd thought she'd heard voices, but didn't dare make her presence known.

Figuring that it was now bright enough to see, and hopefully that any Jaffa would still be asleep, she slowly levered herself up, supporting some of her weight with her hands as the strained muscles in her left leg screamed in protest.

They weren't the only ones, various bruises and scrapes making themselves known as she stretched slightly. If she was lucky, she could find a way out of this pit and get back to the gate in time for breakfast.

Making her way around the rock she looked up and froze, her heart leaping to her throat, as her eyes met the shocked gaze of a Jaffa. Time stood still as she stared, torn between wanting to blink and being afraid to move. He had to be the one she'd shot, the one she'd last seen laying a few dozen yards away. He was in the process of taking off his armor; a blood smeared breastplate in his hand. His other hand was empty. Where was his staff weapon? Her eyes darted away, searching for the weapon.

The spell broken, he dropped the breastplate. It clanked to the rocky ground, the sound as loud as canon fire in the stillness. Spying the staff a few yards away she looked back to him, horrified that he'd see it too. She saw him turn his head, following her gaze. He shifted his weight as he got ready to dash for the weapon.

"Kree!" she yelled, yanking her sidearm from its holster. "Don't move!" she threatened, cocking the gun.

He froze and met her gaze just as she remembered something…she didn't have any bullets in her gun.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lehbon stared at the female, his eyes narrowing as he took in the weapon in her hand. So she'd survived. He'd wondered when he'd awoken and not seen her. His initial thought hadn't been that she'd survived however, rather that perhaps this planet supported a large carnivore or scavenger that had consumed her body in the night.

"Step away from the weapon," she ordered in her native tongue. It was the same language that his master Cronos' people had spoken, the language of the humans. This however, was no escaped slave. He'd heard of her kind, the Tau'ri, from his fellow Jaffa. The odd green clad human warriors that were allied with the Tok'ra and befriended by the Asgard.

He hadn't believed that they used females for warriors. But he'd been wrong. This female had the bearing of a warrior in her voice and in the way she brandished her weapon.

"Move," she ordered, gesturing with the weapon in her hands. So that had to be the fire boxes his master had spoken of. They were so small, much like the Tau'ri themselves. It was apparent that she wanted him to move further away from his staff weapon that was lying a short distance away where it'd landed when he'd fallen.

Part of him was tempted to make a move for it. True, her weapon had brought him down the night before, however he'd survived it. And if he were healthy, he would likely survive it again. But he was far from healthy. His symbiote had barely repaired the damage from before and he truly needed several more hours of meditation before he would be fully healed.

This was something that he must not show this Tau'ri. Holding himself straight, he stepped in the direction she indicated, taking the time to study her closely.

She was standing by a boulder; one hand on the rock, the other holding the weapon aimed at him. He could see that she was fair skinned and light of hair if the short wisps peeking from under the green hat she was wearing was any indication. She was clad in the traditional Tau'ri green; however, like him, she'd not gotten off lightly in her tumble down the walls of the pit. Her clothing was stained and torn in a couple of places. There was a larger item hanging from the front of her chest, a weapon he presumed. It must be a useless weapon or surely she would be brandishing it instead of the little one in her hand.

"You are Tau'ri," he said, holding his hands carefully at his side.

She frowned a bit. "And you're Jaffa," she stated, her voice cold. "Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, what the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.

"What are you doing here?" he fired back, trying not to take offense at being spoken to in such a manner by a female.

"I asked first."

Squaring his feet he crossed his arms over his chest and pursed his lips. If the Tau'ri wanted to interrogate him, she could either do it properly or not at all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack stood behind Davis' chair watching the UAV readied for launch, fighting the urge to go down to the gateroom and chuck it through the gate himself. Damnit, what was taking so long? By his estimates it'd been daylight on the planet for over an hour and they had yet to launch the probe, much less commence the rescue mission.  It'd been twelve hours, twelve hours since Teal'c and the rest of SG-1 had retreated through the gate. Carter was good, hell he'd taught her some of his best tricks, but she had to stay hidden on a planet with barely no cover for twelve hours. At least he and Tyler had had the advantage of a heavy forest to stay concealed in.

"UAV ready for launch, sir," Davis reported.

"Launch when ready," Hammond ordered, studiously ignoring Jack.

The small plane thundered up the ramp, disappearing into the shimmering puddle of illusionary water. Jack leaned forward, feeling Jonas and Masters doing the same as the static gave way to a shaky aerial image. "Commencing fly over," he said, tying on the computer. Jack watched the image change from real color to the fuzzy red and greens of thermal imaging. He could see a cluster of about a dozen figures gathered a short distance from the gate. Davis quickly switched back to normal vision, hoping to verify the identity of the shapes. Before he could, the UAV rocked and pitched and the signal was lost.

"We lost the signal sir," Davis reported.

"Shut it down," Hammond ordered. The gate snapped shut and Jack looked over to the general. "Colonel?"

"Three to one odds sir, we've had worse," Jack said.

"If SG-2 comes with us, our odds will be even better," Jonas said.

"If we launch another UAV and use the radar to paint the camp we can launch a missile," Masters suggested.

"And kill Carter if they've captured her," Jack said.

"Not if we miss, sir," Masters said.

"Use it as a diversion," Jonas said.

"Exactly. We launch the missile and aim a few hundred yards away, then while they're distracted we can go through the gate and hopefully catch them unawares," the captain stratagized.

Jack looked to Hammond. "It could work, sir."

The general nodded. "Very well. Sargent, ready the missile. Colonel, brief your team and SG-2. You leave in an hour."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam tried to shift her weight off her right leg and immediately dug her fingers into the boulder she was leaning against as the pulled muscles threatened to give out from under her. Damnit, why couldn't he have died when she shot him, she cursed as she stared at the Jaffa standing a dozen yards away. They'd been in this stalemate for over an hour; her holding her empty gun aimed at him, and him standing there like a petulant statue. It was a war of wills…and she had a lot of will. It was just too bad her endurance wasn't going to be able to keep up.

The sun had risen fast and she was now out of the shade. At first the warmth had felt good, now it was a sweltering force. The jacket that had been insufficient last night, was too much in the face of the sun. She could feel sweat trickling down her spine and between her breasts. The air in the pit didn't move and she could feel the heat emanating from the rocks. If she was alone she'd be moving by now, exploring the pit, looking for a way out or at least following the shade around the edges. But she wasn't alone. She was trapped with a man who'd tried to kill her in cold blood just hours before. A man who was being held at bay by the empty threat of an equally empty gun.

Keeping her eyes on him, she bent down, feeling for her canteen. Her lips were dry and she could feel the heat leeching moisture from her skin. Every drop of sweat that soaked her pants was a drop less fluid that her body had, fluid that she needed to survive. She had to get this jacket off and get out of the sun. But she couldn't move. She couldn't risk him finding out that she was incapacitated. The second she lost that advantage, she knew she was dead, or worse, she'd be dragged back to whomever he was serving.

She saw him perk up, his attention drawn to her movements. Her fingers found the smooth surface of the canteen and she picked it up, struggling to unscrew the top with one hand. She took a drink all the while keeping her gaze on him. She screwed the top back on and bent over again, setting the canteen down.

She saw his head turn and she heard the sound of faint voices. Struggling to make out the words she saw a strange look pass over his face. She opened her mouth to call out then snapped it shut when she caught a snippet of the words. Whoever was up there…was speaking in goa'uld.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lehbon watched the woman drink, fighting the urge to swallow. He was thirsty, so thirsty. The relentless sun heated his armor, turning the protective plates into branding irons on his skin. He could feel the moisture running down his back, mixing with the dried blood from his half-healed wounds. He needed to drink, he needed to rest and meditate. He could feel his symbiote struggling within him, trying to keep them both alive. His legs were growing numb and he envied the Tau'ri the rock she had to lean against.

He could not stand here much longer or he would fall. And the second he showed weakness to the woman, he would die. He knew that her weapon was not a silent one, which was the one thing that likely kept her from using it. She feared drawing the attention of his comrades. Little did she realize that he had none, not anymore.

He and his men were not here at the behest of their god; they were here fleeing from their new master, Anubis.

He had been the commander of a small troop of men sent by Cronos to ready the world of Keytares for his God's arrival. They'd done as they'd been commanded, and then they'd waited, and waited, and waited.

For months they'd held the planet. They'd stood firm against the increasing impatience and impudence of the Keytonians. And they'd done a fine job. Until the day a trader had landed on the planet with wares and gossip to trade.

It was the gossip that had ruined his world. The words 'Cronos is dead' had set the Keytonians on the path to revolution. A revolution that he'd nearly died attempting to quash. He failed and retreated with what few of his men had survived.

They'd returned to their home expecting a welcome or at least sanctuary. What they'd found was a world subjugated by Anubis. A world where they were given two options, join the ranks of the Vile One, or die.

They'd chosen to live and fled the planet in a barrage of weapons fire. He and his men had spent the last several months fleeing from planet to planet, hampered by their lack of knowledge of safe worlds and constantly hunted.

This barren, desolate planet had been their last hope, a place they'd chosen to regroup and make plans for the future and their survival. Instead it had turned into the final resting spot for his men. He heard voices and looked to the human, seeing from the look on her face that she heard them as well. He strained his ears, trying to discover the identity of the people. They were Jaffa, most likely hunting him. He and his men were Shol'va. No one refused to serve Lord Anubis and lived.

And he was in a most vulnerable position. Exposed here in the middle of this pit they could pick him off like aquatic animals in a tub. He took a step forward, halting as she raised her weapon higher, not yelling but making her intention clear. He heard the steps coming closer, the Jaffa's voices clear now. They were hunting him. They would see him, kill him and likely kill her. He knew what Anubis did to his prisoners. He would take his own life before he suffered that way. The old stories spoke of atrocities that even the other gods could not condone.

He heard their boots pound overhead, they would be within sight in seconds. Making his decision in an instant, he dashed towards the human a part of him hoping that she did kill him now and save him from Anubis' tender mercies. He heard her curse and throw her weapon at him. She fumbled for her belt as he reached her. She pulled a knife and he grabbed that hand, pressing his other one over her mouth to keep her silent. He pulled them around the boulder and pressed them both against the wall as he heard the Jaffa stop at the edge of the pit. He could feel her breath against his hand and see the terror in her eyes as they huddled against the wall waiting to discover if they would die or live.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam stood pinned, struggling to breathe around the large hand pressed against her mouth. He grasped her right hand brusingly tight, keeping the knife harmlessly away from his gut. He used his greater weight to press her against the wall, the edges of his armor poking painfully into her flesh. He met her eyes and she could see the warning in their amber depths. He was silently urging her to stay quiet. Why? She thought he'd be calling out to his friends for help, not trying to remain hidden.

They stood there for an eternity until she heard the Jaffa above move away, silence once again falling over the pit. She laid her left hand on his chest and pushed him off her, frustrated when he only moved back, not releasing her right hand. "Why did you do that?" she whispered harshly.

"They would have killed me…and you…Samantha Carter," he said, his voice triumphant.

Her heart lurched. "How…what do you mean?"

"I know of only one Tau'ri who was a host. And you have been a host. My name is Lehbon," he said, taking the knife from her hand before he released her wrist.  "Formerly First Prime to Cronos."

"Cronos is dead," she said, struggling to keep up with recent events.

"As I have heard. Anubis has taken control of much of Cronos' holdings and forces. He has little patience for those that do not follow his wishes."

"You're on the run," she interrupted. "That's why you don't want them to know you're here."

"My men and I rebelled against Anubis. For that he has hunted us from one end of the galaxy to another. The warriors you killed yesterday were the last of my battalion," he said gravely.

She slumped a bit realizing what she'd done. She shook her head slightly. There'd be time for that later. "Look, if we can get out of here, I know some place where you can go," she said, gambling on her instincts. He quirked his head slightly in question. "You're not the first Jaffa to rebel, and hopefully you won't be the last."

He nodded then turned her knife in his hand, offering it back to her. "Then we have a truce?"

She took the knife and shoved it into the sheath. Still keeping an eye on him, she slowly bent over and retrieved her canteen. She took the cap off and drank, then offered it to him. "You have to be thirsty," she said, noting the sheen of sweat on his dark skin.

He accepted the container and took a drink. "How do you suggest that we remove ourselves from this location?" He asked, bending down and picking up her pack. He held it out to her.

"We find a place where the walls aren't as tall or steep and climb out."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack watched the wormhole open and fought the urge to lean over Sargent Davis' shoulder. The man was nervous he could tell, he'd never used the UAV guided missile system in anything but simulations before.

"Launching UAV," Davis said.  The plane zoomed up the ramp as the missile launcher raised into firing position. "Target acquired."

"Fire," Hammond ordered.

Jack watched the missile blast across the galaxy and turned to the monitor to see a distant explosion. "Target eliminated."

"General?"

"You have a go SG-1 and 2," the man ordered.

Jack nodded and led his team down to the gateroom. They quickly made their way past the missile launcher and across the event horizon. Stepping out onto the planet, the men quickly fanned out, taking what cover they could and securing the gate. Jack turned to Teal'c who was kneeling, studying the ground. He'd had to argue with Fraiser to let the Jaffa come along, the doctor uncertain about if his injuries from the previous day had healed enough. In the end, she'd relented, knowing that not only would she have to tranquilize Teal'c to make him stay behind, his tracking abilities could prove invaluable in finding Sam. "Whatcha got?" he asked, joining the man.

"Several Jaffa have arrived on this planet, but none have left. And I see no boot prints consistent with Major Carter's among them."

"That's good news," Masters said.

"They could have used a ship. We saw a death glider yesterday," Jonas said, earning him a dark look from his companions.

"Remind me to teach you about the power of positive thinking," Jack said.

"We attempted to set up camp that way," Teal'c pointed.

Jack nodded and got up. "Coburn, I need two of you to secure the gate, the other two with me. Chances are we're gonna have company on our six when we come back."

"Yes, sir," the major replied, quickly dividing up his men.

With Teal'c in the lead, they made their way through the barren, rocky terrain, headed towards the campsite.  Jack followed the Jaffa, his senses hyper alert. Damnit, what if Jonas was right? Sixteen hours. Hell, she could be on the other side of the galaxy in sixteen hours.

He knew Hammond had been justified in delaying the search and rescue until today, if he'd have been thinking with his head and not his…heart he'd have made the same decision.

But knowing that it was the right choice still didn't stop him from wishing he'd have been able to immediately come back. Or better yet, have been along in the first place. Maybe things wouldn't have happened like they did, or maybe she'd still have been left behind, but maybe not alone.

As they crested another rise, Teal'c held up his hand and the group immediately stopped and dropped. Jack made his way to the man's side and knelt beside him. Teal'c wordlessly pointed to the camp in the distance. Jack could see four large tents, their markings unmistakably goa'uld.

"Five guards," Teal'c said, using the hand gestures that Jack had taught him.

"You, me, look," Jack responded, turning back to the rest. "Teal'c, I, look, you, stay," he gestured to them. Seeing Masters' answering nod, the two men silently crawled over the embankment and started to make their way towards the tents.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We should rest," Lehbon said pointing out a large flat rock.

Sam sank down gratefully, propping his staff weapon against the rock. She dug in her pocket and pulled out a packet of pain pills, quickly washing them down with a swallow of the tepid water before handing the canteen to Lehbon.

The anesthetic cream may have helped the night before, but it wasn't now. The combination of sun, heat and sweat were working overtime to aggravate the abused nerves around her burn. She knew she was lucky, had it been much larger, the pain might have been too much. She wasn't the only one that was hurting. More than once during their exploration of the pit she'd seen Lehbon struggling a bit. If her experience with Teal'c was any indication, he hadn't had nearly enough time to heal. He hadn't complained however, and neither had she. When he'd noticed her limping he'd simply suggested that she carry his staff weapon and use it as a crutch.

She offered the canteen to him and he took it. "I don't have anything to eat but if that explosion I heard earlier was what I think it was, it shouldn't be a problem."

"You believe that it is your friends?" he asked, referring to the distant booming sound they'd heard about an hour and half ago. It was faint but she swore it sounded like a missile explosion.

She nodded. "I do. They'll come back for me, for us," she said.

"As would my men," he said quietly.

She looked down, unable to meet his eyes. How would she feel if someone had killed the rest of SG-1 then tried to kill her? "Lehbon…" She looked up. He was staring off towards the distance. "What's…" Suddenly he reached out and pushed her to the ground. She landed on her right side and gasped in response to the wave of pain as her burned side came into contact with the ground. She felt one hand on her back keeping her prone while another yanked her knife from its sheath. Stunned, she could only lie there while she waited for the killing blow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Teal'c put a restraining hand on Jack's arm, prepared to render him unconscious if need be. They watched in horror as a Jaffa pushed Sam to the ground. He tore her knife from the sheath and Teal'c saw it glint in the sun before he thrust it into her. Through his hand, Teal'c could feel O'Neill flinch in response. Fighting the urge to jump to his feet and open fire upon the Jaffa down in the pit, Teal'c settled for watching him raise his head and converse with a group of six Jaffa, sixty feet away on the other side of the pit. He listened for a moment, cocking his head to hear better. The Jaffa atop the rim turned and hurried away, leaving them alone.

"What happened?" Jack whispered, his emotions clear in his voice.

"Major Carter is dead. The Jaffa in the pit has bargained for his rescue, pledging his allegiance to Anubis. They have gone to retrieve a rope to remove him from the pit," Teal'c reported. As he watched, the Jaffa pulled out the knife and rolled Sam over, leaning over her body.

"Son of a bitch," Jack muttered. He pulled his P-90 up to his shoulder and took careful aim.

"O'Neill?" Jack ignored him and took aim, flipping the gun from multi to single shot. Teal'c looked over, not surprised to see the cold look on the human's face.

Jack squeezed the trigger and a single gunshot shattered the stillness. Teal'c saw the Jaffa stiffen then collapse, landing on top of Major Carter. O'Neill let the weapon drop, reaching back to unclip his pack. He drew out a coil of rope, got to his feet and secured it to a large rock. He threw the rope down the incline. "Masters, keep an eye out for those Jaffa. Teal'c, let's go get her."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Don't move," Lehbon whispered harshly. Frozen in shock and terror, Sam laid there and listened to him stand up. Her heart was pounding and she tried not to breathe. A part of her wanted to scramble to her feet and dash to safety…but she was literally paralyzed with fear. Had he been playing her all along? Stupid, she'd been so stupid to trust him. A second later she heard him call out and felt her heart stop when he was answered by another Jaffa. They spoke for a second and she tried to understand what they were saying, cursing the fact that she could read goa'uld easier than understand it when spoken. After a few minutes she heard the Jaffa move away and felt Lehbon lean over her. She felt the tug as he pulled the knife out of her jacket, drawing in her breath as the blade scraped her side. He rolled her over and offered her knife back to her. "I apologize, however I could see no other way."

"Are they yours?" she gasped.

He paused. "No. However they were willing to accept that I killed the last of the traitors to atone for my cowardice. They will return with a rope. You will feign death and once we are gone you can use the rope to attain liberation from this pit and return to your people," he said.

"You said they'll kill you," she reminded.

"Perhaps."

She shook her head. "No. My friends…."

"May not find us for several hours. We do not have that long."

"No. Lehbon…." He suddenly stiffened then collapsed atop her, forcing the air from her lungs, the weight making it impossible to breathe.

He slowly opened his eyes, gasping as he struggled to breathe. She met his gaze and saw resignation in his eyes. "Dal shaka… mel," he said, blood bubbling between his lips. She felt the warmth of his life's blood seeping through her clothes as she passed out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack made his way across the floor of the pit; his attention torn between the two still forms lying ahead of him and the rim of the crater. Stupid, he was stupid. There was no way in hell those Jaffa hadn't heard the shot. The tactically sound thing would have been to wait until the Jaffa left, engaging them only if they tried to take Carter's…Carter with them. He should have waited until they left, then retrieved Sam and gone home. Should have, but couldn't. The bastard had murdered her in cold blood. And Jack wasn't in the mood to let him get away with it.

He and Teal'c reached the pair of bodies and wordlessly, Teal'c bent over and pulled the bulky body of the Jaffa off his teammate. She was covered in blood, the green material glinting a sickening wet black in the sun. He checked the man while Jack knelt by Sam. "He is dead, O'Neill, as is his symbiote," he reported, shoving his hand into the man's pouch and pulling out the limp goa'uld. Jack didn't respond as he brushed a smear of blood off Sam's face. Teal'c left the Jaffa and knelt by Jack's side. "We must go, O'Neill," he said gently.

"Yeah…I…"

Sam took a gasping breath and Jack fell backward, clearly shocked.  As he watched, her eyes fluttered open and she frowned.

"Major…you are not dead?" Teal'c said, recovering from the shock faster than Jack. He reached out and helped her sit up.

"Teal'c. You came…. Lehbon?" She looked around, her eyes lighting on the still form a few yards away. "Lehbon!"

She tried to get up and fell back down. "He is dead," he said.

"What? No! I…" A staff weapon blast hit the rocks near them, sending all of them huddling for cover. Teal'c pushed Sam and Jack behind the rock as weapons fire filled the air above them. He grabbed Lehbon's staff weapon and fired as Jack did the same with his P-90.

A few minutes later it was over. "You're clear, sir," Masters said over his radio.

"Roger," Jack replied.  "Carter?" he turned his attention to the woman sheltered behind the rock, his heart stopping at the sight of all the blood. "Sam, where are you hit?" he asked, his fingers fumbling for the zip to her jacket.

"What? Jack?" She stared at him, her face pale and her eyes confused.

"You're covered in blood," he explained. "Where are you hurt?" He pulled down the zipper and started to explore her chest, searching for a wound.

"It's not mine," she muttered, stilling his hands.

"O'Neill, there may be more Jaffa, we must leave," Teal'c said.

Jack nodded and stood up. He held out his hand and pulled Sam to her feet. "You make it back?" Jack asked her.

She nodded then turned back. "What about Lehbon?"

"What?"

"He's shol'va. If they come back…"

Teal'c pulled out his zat and looked at her, seeking her permission. She nodded and he fired three times, destroying the body.

"Let's go home," Jack said, gently grabbing Sam's arm.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack slipped into the darkened house, smiling slightly when he saw the tiny nightlight in the kitchen on, dimly illuminating the area. For a woman who wasn't afraid of the dark, Sam sure kept it at bay.

He hung his jacket up in the hall closet and slipped out of his loafers. Padding up the stairs, he made his way to the bedroom and quickly shucked his slacks and shirt. Clad in his boxers he slid into bed, trying not to wake the occupant.

With the burn on her side well on its way to being healed, Fraiser had released Sam earlier that day after a couple of days in the infirmary. The doctor had driven her home and likely hung around for a few hours. Which was one reason Jack had stayed on the base filling out paperwork and doing other meaningless chores.

He spooned himself behind her, one arm slipping over her waist, his fingers brushing over the bulk of the bandages under the over sized t-shirt she wore. So close, hell he'd come too close to losing her this time. When he closed his eyes he could see the flash as the Jaffa raised his knife, hear her gasp as it ripped through her flesh…

"You're late," she mumbled sleepily, shifting her weight back towards him.

"Paperwork," he excused. "And you're supposed to be resting."

"I've been resting all day."

"Do you need me to get you something?" he offered, knowing that Fraiser had given her some painkillers. Drugs he knew she'd avoid taking unless she had to.

"No. I'm ok," she said. An uncomfortable silence settled over them, the same one he'd first felt back on the planet when she'd realized that he'd fired the shot that killed the Jaffa. He had a feeling she wanted to talk about what had happened, but she hadn't asked. Probably because she knew he'd brush her off like he had after Daniel. In those days after their friend's death a rift had developed between them that had almost been like losing another member of his team. It was something he'd told himself that he wasn't going to let happen again.

"I'm not gonna apologize," he said, feeling her stiffen in his arms.

"You didn't have to kill him," she said sadly. "He wasn't going to hurt me."

"You don't know that."

"Yes. I do." She pulled away and rolled to her back, looking him in the eyes. "He was going to go with them and leave me the rope so I could get out. We knew you guys were on the planet, we heard the explosion. If you'd have just waited…."

"And what?" He propped himself up on his elbow. "Wait for them to make sure you were dead? Or maybe for him to toss you over his shoulder and take you back to the goa'uld and a sarcophagus?" he asked, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.

"You should have waited to see if that's what they were going to do," she insisted, pushing herself up so that she was leaning against the headboard. "You put everybody else at risk by engaging them."

"You don't get it do you?" he asked, sitting up as well. "I watched that son of a bitch MURDER you in cold blood. I couldn't let him go," he said, reliving again the feeling of helpless terror.

"And what about all the grief you've given Teal'c? All the lecturing he got about his 'Jaffa revenge thing'?" she reminded.

"I know exactly how he feels," he declared.

She shook her head. "We can't do that. We can't put each other over the others. It's….it's not fair to Jonas or Teal'c."

"Do you really think that if I'd watched him kill Teal'c or Jonas I wouldn't have shot him? Because I would have," he insisted.

She closed her eyes, slumping and accepting his words. "He saved my life," she said quietly. "I killed his men, the last of his men and he still…" She opened her eyes and met his gaze. "He could have killed me a dozen times and he didn't. He lied to those Jaffa. They were hunting him and were going to take him back to face Anubis…He knew who I was, he could have used me as a bargaining chip and probably saved his life. But he didn't." Tears started to stream down her face. "He did everything he could to save me. I told him that we had somewhere for him to go, that I knew of a safe place. I promised him sanctuary and I got him killed."

He slid up and sat beside her, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. "I'm tired, Jack. I'm tired of fighting, I'm tired of killing, I'm…I'm just tired." He felt her settle into his side and slowly she relaxed. Listening to her soft breathing he watched the shadows wax and wane on the far wall.

There were times when he hated his job. The toll it exacted from each of them. They were charged with defending their country, their planet. And when they did that, people died. Sometimes good people whose only 'crime' was to be wearing a different color of uniform. He'd killed people, more than he could remember. And each time it felt like a tiny piece of his soul died along with them.

Usually he could justify it somehow. They were 'the bad guys', Russians, goa'uld…Jaffa. Maybe she'd been right, maybe Lehbon had been planning to protect her. Maybe he'd been planning to betray her. They'd never know for sure. What he did know was that she was alive, he was alive and while they may not have a future, they had now.

"You still tired?" he whispered.

"A little."

"Then why don't we stay here until you don't feel tired anymore?"

She sighed and nestled in closer. "That sounds good."

Fin


End file.
